The funerals of yonge and olde are very thycke myngled to geder And cruel Proserpine forbereth no mā Innumerable people of yong olde and myddel age dye here and there of our felowes of our acquayntance of our kynsfolke frendes father mother and chyldren and we our selfe that muste nedes dye be conuersante a mydmonges the hepes of them that dye And al be it that we be borne vnder y e same condicions that we must nedes dye yet we feare nat dethe Thou sayest wherfore dost thou commande me to thynke on dethe I am yet yonge and lustye I am farre from whore heares and farre from an olde wrynkeled forheed They shulde lyue in thought and care for drede of dethe that be olde and croked and stoupyng to y e erthe warde that haue a lyght shakinge heed hangynge chekes small holowe eies a continuall droppynge nose a fewe tethe and rotten the whiche whan they haue liued as longe as a crowe than they reken theyr age vpon theyr fyngers I am farre from all these thynges Dothe nat my yonge blode that courageth myne harte and spyrytes my stronge armes and bygge sides and al my body lusty and in good lykynge bydde me to hope after longe lyfe But I pray the tell me hath god promised to y e either whore heares or wrinkyls If thou se no man dye but olde folkes than liue careles and haue no mynde of dethe vntyll the tyme that thou haue whore heres wrinkyls But if that dethe do steale vpon folkes of euery age if deth strangle them that be nat yet borne nat sleyng them but remouyng them from life If dethe plucke the children away that sucke on their mothers breastis If dethe snatche away laddes and gyrles If dethe pulle away yonge men and maydēs If dethe slee myghty strōge men If dethe attrappe olde men and fynally if deth spareth no person of no maner condition age strengthe nor beautye supposeste thou hit wyll forbeare the onely aboue all other It is for certayne that an olde man can nat lyue longe And thou that arte a yonge man maist sone dye And loke howe certayne and sure an olde man is to dye euen so vncertayne and vnsure a yonge man is to lyue There is no mā so olde but that he may liue one day lōger Nor there is no man so yonge that can assure hym selfe to lyue frome morowe tyll nyght And for a trouthe if thou marke it well thou shalte fynde that the moost parte that dye be yonge folkes And al be it that whore age hath alwaye been scarse yet was hit neuer more scarser nor more dispised than hit is now a dayes Howe many canst thou shewe me that haue lyued I say nat so longe as Cython Nestor Sibyl or Mathusale but an hundred yeres yea howe many be there that lyue .lx. yeres Forsothe scarsly one amonge a thousande And howe shorte a tyme is it And yet thou seest howe fewe come therto so fragyll or bryttyll so vncertayne and subiecte to so manyfolde chances is the lyfe of man Wylte thou good Ioyce haue of this thynge a clere and a commodious similitude or figure Beholde how in the begynnynge of the yere thou seest a tree storysshe and is so replenysshed or loden with flowers or blossoms that the trunke or body therof can nat be seen and scarsly the leaues the whiche tree semeth to brynge forth more plentie of frute than the tree is able to beare But yet of al this great nombre of blossoms very fewe proue for some of them be corrupted distroyed with wormes some with spyders and some with wynde and wether are beaten downe And the frute that remayneth whan the blossoms be gone by lytell and lyttell waxe greatter And than I pray y e do they al hāge styl tyl they be rype No truely Many of them be worme eaten some the wynd and wether beateth downe some by great stormes are corrupted and rotted and some other by other mischaunce are distroyed In so moche that at y e laste where thou hopest to haue great abundance of frute vnneth thou getherest thre or foure appulles Nor mans lyfe dothe perishe with no lesse inconueniences There be a thousande maner of syckenesses a thousande chāces or occasions of deth a thousande maner of murthers and a thousande sortes of snares that dethe layeth for vs through the whiche mo dye than by auncientnes and tyme. And seynge thā that our life is subiecte to so many and great perylles beholde I pray the howe wytlesse and braynesicke we be that liue as though we shuld neuer dye We be right careful for those thyngis that pertayne nothynge to vs but that thynge that shulde instructe vs agaynste dethe we care nat fore What if one kynge that hathe mortall warre with an nother knewe nat for certayne how nere his ennemie were but hauyng knowlege and vnderstandyng by spyes that he shuld lye in embushemēt nat farre of whan he sawe conuenient tyme how he wolde rushe out vpon hym Trowest thou that he in this case wolde mynde the buyldynge of bathes or to prepare a bankette or to wedde a wyfe But that he wolde rather imagyn howe to augment his armye to cast a bulwarke to make good watche and to mynde his armour wepens and other thynges belongynge to warre wherby he may defende hym from inuasyon and also discomfite his ennemie And for this wyl he care fore more diligētly for as moche as he knoweth nat what tyme nor on whiche syde the busshement wyll breake out vpon hym But deth our chiefe ennemye in euery place and at all tymes of our age hath layde a thousande maner of imbushementes to attrappe and disceyue vs. And yet in the meane tyme a goddes name we stande gaurynge and daryng at ryches we fede to derely cherysshe our bodies and seke for rule and mayster shyppe But and we wolde at all tymes consydre the vnstedfastnesse and waueryng of this disceitfull lyfe and howe that dethe styll continually hangethe ouer vs we shulde dryue in to our owne eares that that y e prophet sayd vnto the sycke kynge Dyspose thy house for thou shalte dye than incontinent all these thynges whiche to our great hurte seme sauory swete wolde waxe bytter and sower and those that we thynke ryght precious wolde seme vyle and lytell worth and those that we repute nobull and gay thynges wold appere foule and vngoodly So lyghtely one thoughte or inwarde remembrance of dethe persuadeth vs to set naught by all worldly thynges O thou couetous man to what ende or entent dost thou gether suche abundaunce of golde Dethe is at thy backe redy to snatche all away Why doste y u prepare so many great fardelles for so shorte a iourney Hast thou forgotte what happend to the foole that the gospell speaketh of To whom reioisynge that his barnes were full of corne and promisynge hym selfe many greatte pleasures hit was sayde Thou fole this same night thou shalt be slayn and
it were nat inconuenient to reherse nowe in fewe wordes the commodites of our lyfe whiche thynge to do it behoueth me to be brefe both bycause I haue spent moche tyme labour and paper in straytly dyscussyng of the yuels and calamites of this worlde and yet the greatnes therof requireth moche more thaÌ„ hath ben spoken for in maner no wordes or tyme of communication to discusse it coude suffise and eke bycause me thoughte thou beganst to waxe wery of my babblynge and also bycause those thyngis are more easily perceiued thaÌ„ declared Therfore I wolde rather y t thou shuldeste lerne them by experience than by my declarynge and rather to serche them out thy self thaÌ„ to be ê‘swaded Nowe swete Ioyce withdrawe the lyghtly froÌ„ the troublous busynes of this worlde and come to vs. And than at last thou shalt perceiue and se howe farre the false and disceyuable prosperite of the worlde doth differ froÌ„ very felicyte and howe farre our labours and trauayles do passe and excel thy delites I say thou shalte vnderstande and perceyue it lyke as one were waked out of his slepe the whiche all the while he slepeth supposynge that the imaginations and phantasies that appere to hym in his slepe be true he reioyceth he dredeth he exhalteth hym selfe and is moucd with a thousand affections But as soone as the slepe is goone he than perceyueth that he was deluded and mocked with imaginations yea and he hym selfe laugheth at his dremes So lyke wise whan thou shalte clerely ê‘ceyue and vnderstaÌ„de the felicite of our institution or lyfe O howe ofte than whan the dreames of thy former lyfe come to thy remembrance and beinge awaked out of that worldly slombre wylte thou saye A good lorde was I euer so farre besyde my selfe that any of these trifyls delyted me Haue suche phantasyes in tymes passed of false and vayne goodes so rauyshed my mynde wytte that no desyre of thynges that be good in dede coude entre in to me Therfore nowe good Ioice if thou be a slepe awake excepte thou haddest leauer be happy in dreamynge than happy in dede If thou nappe a littell open thyn eies and shake hit of lest the depe slepe steale vpon the. But in case that thou be awaked as I suppose thou art than lest the example of slepers orels the violence of slepe ê‘swade the therto hye the as faste as thou canst out of this lande of Babylon full of dreames shadowes and get y e apase to our Hierusalem Why lokest thou behynde the Why staggerest Why dost thou staye or stande any whyle Hit is alwaye hurtfull as Lucan sayth to differre or prolonge these thynges forthe that be redy prepared Go to breake of all delayes for it is nat a lyght or a triflynge busynesse that thou art in hande with the matter concerneth or toucheth thy soule the whiche is so worthy and so noble a thynge y t for the welthe therof thou oughtest nat only to leaue and forsake those thingis that thou louest mooste derely but also wyllyngly to take on the and suffre moost harde and greuous peyne and trauayle If an excellente and a perfecte counnynge phisytion wolde say to one that were sicke and vnlyke to escape dethe Suffre a lytell while and I wyll restore the to thy helthe agayne Tell me what rough handlyng peynfull touchynge greuous throwes wold he with ryghte good wyll endure He wolde suffre his lymmes to be torren and haled with boystous iron instrumentes to be launced cutte burned and a thousande other wayes paynefullye handled yea he wolde suffre some peynes that be more greuous than the very dethe to thende to escape dethe and a lyttell whyle prolonge his wretched lyfe O good lorde shulde any thynge seme greuoê° to y e to suffre that y u myghtest therby eschewe the dethe of thy soule yea deth euerlastynge If the chaunce stoode so that thou must nedes those one of these two conditions either to suffre thy body to be cleane extincted and vtterly distroyed y t thy soule myghte lyue euerlastyngly orels by dethe of thy soule to opteine lyfe of thy body I beleue thou woldest nat take longe aduisement except thou were more madder thaÌ„ any franticke maÌ„ but that thou woldest quickely chose rather the perpetuall lyfe of the soule than the very shorte lyfe of the body And therfore tell me good Ioyce wylt thou nat lyue both blessedly and perpetually Hit were great maruayle but thou woldest for what is he that wolde nat But thou wylt say By what meane may I opteyne to lyue alwaye blessedly Go to I pray the beholde what a great thyng with a lyttell labour thou mayst come by To opteyne this thynge thou nedest nat to flye in the ayre with Dedalus wynges nor to trauayle passe the daungerous sees nor to take on hande the peynefull labours of Hercules nor to leape in to the fyre nor no man wyll coÌ„strayne the that for this thynge thou shuldest hale teare thy lymmes nor slee thy selfe Fynally who wolde saye that the martyrs in olde tyme were peuishe the whiche on hope and truste of this felicite wolde nat denye or refuse any maner peynes or cruell turmeÌ„tes no nat the very dethe to be harde or greuous to them Take hede I pray the howe abundantly our benigne and lyberall lorde hath bestowed his gyftes vpon vs and againe how easye and lyght his commaundementes be He promised euerlastinge felicite to them that haue deserued deth What thing can be more benigne or bountifull than this promise ye and what is more sure and certeyne But nowe what dothe he commaunde the to do Forsothe nothynge but y t in the meane tyme thou shuldest dyligeÌ„tly prepare and make thy selfe redye to receyue so great and so excellent a gyfte Thou wylt aske me by what way this shulde be done No man can receiue the very felicite so long as he is possessed and holden in captyuyte and thraldome of false felycite Wylte thou lyue euerlastyngely Than loke that thou lyue well Wylt thou entre in to paradise Than loke that thou forsake this worlde for as it is most mischiefull so it is most troublous and peynefull Dost thou desyre and couet to be ioyned to god Than se that thou endeuoir the to be out of the dyuels snares Doste thou loue trewe rychesse Than throwe awaye from the the false If thou haue delyte in very honours leaue thy sekynge for the false What more Doest thou loue very trewe beatytude Loke than y t thou forsake these swete trauailes yea y e laborous swetenes of this worlde What thynge is more softer or esyer than these preceptes Who so euer kepethe them shall haue very felicite for his rewarde and the kepyng of goddes commaundementes is the begynnynge of felycytye As thoughe he commaunded thus Leaue to be wretched that ye may be welthye Leaue to be seruaÌ„tis that ye may enioy liberte O what a great dyfference is betwene goddes coÌ„mandementes and
at the laste it that of ryghte oughte to ouercome shall haue place Shamefastnes shal obey vnto loue For I shuld rather esteme thy profytte yea thy soule helth than what men wyll saye by me If that this myn enterprise shall be more applyed to pryde than wysedome trewely myn offence shulde so moche the sooner be forgyuen in as moche as it procedeth of loue For vndouted I had leauer wrytynge louyngly do boldely than wysely kepynge sylence to do more wysely Nor I doubte nat but by this patron and aduocate I meane our loue I shalbe absolued and quited For our loue is nat symple or of the common sorte but very entier trusty and sure The causes of our twos frendshyp be ryght great and manyfolde our bryngynge vp together of chyldren y e maruaylous agrement of our two myndes one maner of study in mooste noble scyences the innumerable pleasures that thou haste done for me the singular beneuolēce and speciall good minde of the and of thyne borne alwaye towarde me And also to these causes is ioyned alyaunce of blode What thynge canne be more gluynge or claspyng than this our frendeshyp the whiche as it were with a double theyne is bounde and knyt fast together on the one syde with kynred and on the other syde with fyxed charite or entyerly louynge myndes Therfore Ioyce I wolde thou shuldest thynke and surely trust that neuer mā loued hym selfe more hartily than I loue y e. And seyng that I loue the as moche as my selfe or more I muste nedes care as moche for thy soule helth as for myn owne Yea and true loue constraynethe vs I wote nat by what meane to sorowe more greuously our frendes incōmodyte and hurte than our owne and more to desyre our frendes welfare than our owne And brefely to speake trewe loue causeth one man to loue an other more tenderlye than hym selfe Whiche thynge in the I nede nat to mystruste but on my parte I maye surely affyrme hit This thynge hath so moche enbolded and encoraged me that I laied shamefastnes aparte for the tyme and wrote vnto the this letter of exortation by y e whiche my mynde is to withdrawe the from the hurly burly and busynesse of the worlde and brynge the to a lyfe monastycke that is to saye solytary and quyete This is no small thynge nor a thynge that may soone be perswaded to the common people but bycause thy lyfe is of suche perfytenes all redy that excepte the habite or clothyng of a lay man wherof I am very glad the worlde welnere can challenge no properte in the. I fullye truste that this myne exhortation shall take effecte seinge that both the corage of thy passyng good minde and my oration leade the to the same thynge Who wolde doubte that shyp to saile pleasantly that hathe bothe wynde and wether at wyll And all be hit that thy good and commendable lyfe stereth me to hope well yet shall I neuer be out of feare and drede vntyll suche tyme that thou clene forsake this vnhappy britel worlde and entre in to some Monastery as in to an hauen moost sure For truste me as often as I reuolue and consydre in my mynde the perils and dangers amonge the whiche thou arte conuersante Whervpon I thynke welnere alwaye so ofte the tender loue that I beare to the warde maketh me very heuy and sorowfull For I am none other wyse affectioned or mynded towarde the than a good kynde mother is to her onely and mooste dere chylde the whiche is on the see saylynge by some daungerous place where as shyppes often tymes go to wracke and peryshe Whiche whan she seeth or heareth the vyolente hurle wynde ryse ruggedly alofte she wayleth she waxeth pale and trēbleth for drede In her slepe her mynde rounneth and she dreameth of her sonne and euer she dredeth the worste and more than is true or nede to be feared But wold to god y t I neded nat to drede lesse perils thā be But I knowe I knowe good Ioice what troubles be in the see of this worlde in what danger the lyfe standeth and what dyuers kyndes of deth there be out of the whiche but late swymmyng naked on a lytel borde vnneth I escaped But perauenture thou being in a folyshe surete of thy selfe and callynge me tymerous or fearfull wylte byd me to be careles but yet if thou so do thou canst nat driue feare out of my mȳde for thou arte so farre wyde to drawe me frome drede that thou almost bryngest all my hope to naught Trewely thou arte so moche the more in the danger of perils in howe moche lesse that thou perceiuest them or if thou dost vnderstāde and perceyue them and wylte nat beware and eschewe them what thynge can be more myschiefull or more madde than suche a confydence I praye the tell me who is more foolysshe than that shipman the whiche amōge the spuminge or fomynge rockes the furious syrtes the rageyng goulfes of the see in a great and hydous tēpeste and therto his shyppe feeble and weake doth feare no maner perill but lyenge vp ryght by the helme he syngeth yea and forbyddeth those that sayle with hym vnder his tuition to be afrayde or carefull What man wyll nat abhorre the foly and madnes of suche a felowe and drede to scape safely Nor I good Ioyce shall neuer be rydde of care so longe as thou foolehardely doste sayle forth in this moste vnquyete see of the worlde Thou wylte perauenture saye this is a foolysshe comparison Howe dothe the worlde and the see agree seynge that nothynge is more blādyshyng or faunyng thā the worlde and nothynge is more horryble than the see Yea but I knowe no feter comparison if thou consydre hit well Thynkest thou that the yll melodye and swete honygalle tunes of the Syrens the whiche brynge the passagers forby fyrst in a slombre and after drowne them dothe nat well expresse the shrewde blandishynge and lewde delites of this worlde wolde to god thou coudest se what snares what desceytes what nettes they laye pryuyly to attrappe thy youth with Loke therfore that thou flye from the bākes or see coostes where these Syrens be For flyghte in this behalfe is the surest waye Nor thou shuldest nat folehardely truste to sayle sure and safely that waye where as thou seest kyng Dauyd Solomon and many other and nobler thā are to be spoken of here wēt to wracke And brefely to speke no man scaped but he that fledde Homer reherseth that Ulyxes the whiche representeth the persone of a perfecte wyse man with greatte studye and dylygence coude scarsly scape the swete honygalle songe of these Syrens yet he stopped his eares with waxe and boūde hym selfe to the shyppe maste Than what hope haste thou to escape them Seynge y t so many haue cōspired together to distroy the as wāton youth ēticyng beautifulnesse riches lycence libertee the dayly and nightly ditees of these Helas to